The 3 Best High-Protein Carbs to Eat for Lower Blood Sugar, According to a Dietitian

From eatingwell.com

No, you don't have to cut out carbs for the sake of blood sugar management 

KEY POINTS

• Combining carbs and protein is a winning combo when eating for blood sugar management.
• Beans, yogurt and legume pasta are all carbs that also contain a healthy amount of protein.
• Enjoy these carb-plus-protein foods as snacks, in main dishes, salads and more.

If you are one of the 12% of Americans with diabetes, you know that when it comes to managing diabetes, dietary changes can play a significant role.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National diabetes statistics report.

 You may think you need to eliminate or seriously reduce your carb intake to manage your blood sugars, but this isn't necessarily true.

While closer consideration of carb intake is typically helpful for diabetes management, it doesn't mean you can't still enjoy carbs! Protein can help offset blood sugar spikes, and some carbohydrates are also good protein sources. Learn the best high-protein carbs for blood sugar management and what to look for in a blood-sugar-friendly snack.

Ali Redmond

1. Beans

Next time you're looking for a protein source for a meatless Monday (or any day for that matter), look no further than beans (or their close cousins, other types of legumes). While their carb content may concern some folks with diabetes, their protein and fibre help offset their impact on blood sugars. "Beans have a great amount of protein in them, and bonus, they have fibre too, which also slows down digestion.

Fibre is an indigestible carbohydrate that provides many benefits, such as promoting digestive health, reducing cholesterol levels and stabilising blood sugars. Since it does wonders for your health and blood sugars, consider choosing high-fibre carbs whenever you can. These include vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes. For some, this can feel more satisfying, plus that blood sugar management bonus," says Ashley Munro, M.P.H., RDN, CDCES.

2. Yogurt

Dairy products, specifically milk and yogurt, are another source of carbs and protein. The carb and protein content of yogurt varies based on the type, with traditional yogurt being lower in protein and higher in carbs than strained (Greek-style) yogurt. Either way, the protein and fat content helps prevent rapid blood sugar spikes. Plus, Munro says, "Yogurt can be a fun vehicle to adding nutrients like fruit (for fibre) and nuts. Texture can impact how we enjoy foods, so that creamy-crunchy combo can be a nice experience."

Munro says, "Protein just takes longer for your body to process, so it helps slow down the journey, which can make you feel satisfied or fuller longer." In addition, research, has demonstrated a relationship between gut health and diabetes, so the probiotic boost from yogurt may amplify this food's benefits for those with diabetes.

3. Legume Pasta

With more and more food innovations lining grocery store shelves, there are new fun ways to help manage diabetes through your diet. One of these newer food inventions is legume pasta, made with protein sources like chickpeas, lentils and yellow peas rather than durum wheat. These can have around four times as much protein and half as many carbs as traditional pasta, which can help offset blood sugar spikes.

If you have diabetes, this prevents you from needing to add as much protein from other sources, like meat, when eating pasta. That being said, while you need to moderate your carb intake if you have diabetes, pasta made from grains, like wheat, rice or quinoa, can be part of a diabetes-appropriate diet.

What to Look For in a Blood-Sugar-Friendly Carb

First, it's best to lean into your preferences when picking carbs. If you ignore your cravings for the sake of health, the changes may not be sustainable, and you'll have to sacrifice satisfaction! Munro says, "Carbs should be what a person wants to eat, enjoys and makes sense from a cultural and accessibility perspective."

From there, she recommends integrating blood-sugar-friendly food combos. She says, "This could look like someone who enjoys crackers, making them blood sugar friendly by adding some protein like lunch meat and fat such as nuts," which helps promote satisfaction without spiking blood sugars like carbs alone would.

Our Expert Take

Pairing protein with carbs helps offset blood sugar spikes and promotes satisfaction. Rather than avoiding carbs, it can help to think about what you can add to your meal or snack to promote your health and help you feel good. Since everybody is different, Munro says, "It does take some trial and error to see what works the best for someone, but it can really empower them when they start to feel better!"

So, consider trying new food combinations and getting curious about how they impact your body. When managing diabetes, it's best to work with a health care provider who can provide individualized guidance and recommendations.

https://www.eatingwell.com/the-best-high-protein-carbs-for-lower-blood-sugar-11900862

8 diabetes myths you need to stop believing

From womensweekly.com.au

By Ashleigh Austen

From the impact of sugar to whether or not it’s genetic, an expert sets the record straight 

Diabetes is one of Australia’s most common chronic conditions, yet it remains widely misunderstood.

More often than not, ideas about who gets diabetes, how it develops and what living with it really involves are shaped more by outdated stereotypes than medical fact. That confusion matters: it can delay diagnosis, fuel stigma and make an already demanding condition harder to manage.

Here, we unpack eight of the most persistent myths about diabetes and explain what the evidence actually tells us.

Myth 1: Type 1 diabetes is caused by eating too much sugar

This is one of the most damaging myths of all. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. It is a chronic autoimmune condition that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Without insulin, the body cannot regulate blood glucose levels, making lifelong insulin therapy essential.

“In type 1 diabetes, the immune system mistakenly attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, resulting in the person losing the ability to produce their own insulin. Sugar or ‘junk food’ does not cause this autoimmune process,” explains endocrinologist Dr Ben Nash, who lives with type 1 diabetes.

No amount of sugar intake causes T1D. The condition develops silently over many years, often long before symptoms appear. Blaming food choices not only spreads misinformation but also places unnecessary guilt on people living with the condition.

                                          Eating too much sugar does not lead to being diagnosed with T1D. Image: Canva

Myth 2: Type 1 diabetes only affects children

While T1D is often diagnosed in childhood, it can develop at any age. Each year, around 3,000 Australians – many of them children – are diagnosed with T1D, which is the equivalent of eight people every day. However, adults are also diagnosed, sometimes well into later life.

“Approximately 50 per cent of people with type 1 diabetes are diagnosed in adulthood, yet many still think of it as a childhood condition,” says Dr Nash.

This misconception matters. “Adults with symptoms such as weight loss, thirst, fatigue, or frequent urination are often misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Delayed diagnosis can lead to serious illness, including diabetic ketoacidosis, a diabetes emergency that can be life-threatening.”

Myth 3: Diabetes always runs in families

Family history does play a role, but it is far from the whole story. Approximately 90 per cent of people diagnosed with T1D have no known family history of the condition. That means most diagnoses come as a complete shock.

Dr Nash explains: “There is a genetic component, but 9 out of 10 people with type 1 diabetes have no family history.” While certain genes are associated with increased risk, “having these genes alone is not enough to cause someone to develop type 1 diabetes.”

Instead, “it is thought that an additional environmental trigger, in addition to genetic factors work together to cause type 1 diabetes to develop.”

Myth 4: You can ‘outgrow’ type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is lifelong. Because the body permanently loses its ability to produce insulin, there is currently no cure and no way to outgrow the condition.

“Once the immune system destroys insulin-producing cells, the body cannot regenerate them,” says Dr Nash. “That’s why people with T1D must give themselves insulin every day.”

Management requires daily insulin, careful monitoring of blood glucose levels and constant decision-making, a reality that is often underestimated by those who don’t live with the condition.

Myth 5: Insulin means you’ve failed to manage diabetes properly

This myth is particularly misleading when it comes to T1D. People with type 1 diabetes need insulin to survive, full stop.

“Insulin is essential for people living with type 1 diabetes because their bodies are no longer able to produce it,” says Dr Nash. “In type 1 diabetes, insulin is simply replacing a hormone the body no longer makes.”

Without insulin, blood glucose levels rise dangerously and can quickly lead to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a life-threatening complication and a leading cause of hospitalisation for people with T1D.

                                     With the correct treatment plan, those with diabetes can lead healthy lives. Image: Canva

Myth 6: People with diabetes can’t live full, active lives

Living with diabetes is demanding, but with appropriate treatment and support, people with T1D can and do live full, active lives.

“Living well with type 1 diabetes means people can pursue careers, travel, exercise, and spend time with family without limits,” says Dr Nash. “Advances in diabetes technology has made this more possible than ever.”

However, he notes that much of the effort involved goes unseen. “The invisible work includes constant monitoring, planning ahead, carrying supplies and making decisions that most people never think about.”

Myth 7: The symptoms are always obvious

Classic symptoms such as excessive thirst, frequent urination and unexplained weight loss are well known, but they don’t always appear suddenly or clearly.

“These symptoms can develop gradually and be mistaken for stress, viral illness, menopause, or other conditions,” says Dr Nash.

If insulin is not started in time, high blood glucose levels can escalate rapidly into DKA. “Delayed diagnosis can lead to serious illness, such as diabetic ketoacidosis, a medical emergency that results from inadequate insulin levels to meet the needs of the person with diabetes.”

Myth 8: Diabetes isn’t that expensive to manage

The financial burden of type 1 diabetes in Australia is substantial and increasing. Ongoing costs include insulin, glucose monitoring supplies, medical appointments and, for many families, lost income due to reduced work capacity. These costs are lifelong, reflecting the permanent nature of the condition.

https://www.womensweekly.com.au/health/diabetes-myths/

The invisible mental load of type 1 diabetes

From bodyandsoul.com.au

It takes a toll 

While you may be familiar with the insulin pumps and blood tests that become part and parcel with a type 1 diabetes diagnosis, you're probably less aware of the mental burden of the disease. 

Know someone with type 1 diabetes? Those affected make hundreds of health decisions every day, balancing insulin, food, movement and rest in a way that many of us are unaware of.

And while type 2 diabetes is far more common, due to its link to lifestyle factors, type 1 is a different beast: an autoimmune disease, with an unknown cause, and no cure. 

It's no wonder burnout, anxiety and poor sleep are so common in people with type 1 diabetes. Yet these side effects are rarely spoken of, surpassed by the physical demands of the condition. 

Often thought of as a childhood condition, around 88 per cent of people living with type 1 diabetes in Australia are 21 or older, managing their condition while juggling work, family, social lives and more.

Beyond the long-term damage and complications caused by diabetes (including permanent damage to eyesight), the toll of managing the condition can increase the likelihood of mental health issues. 

With over 1.3 billion people predicted to have diabetes by 2050, these cumulative side effects are worth considering, whether you or someone you love is affected.

Hundreds of decisions, every day

Dr Ben Nash, a Melbourne-based endocrinologist and medical affairs director at Medtronic Diabetes Australia, was 17 when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. 

“There's a lot of cognitive burden, a lot of micro decisions that you have to make with type 1 diabetes, every day and every minute of every day,” said Nash at a recent Medtronic event. “It's essentially like having a second job – unfortunately, it's not a job you've asked for.”

Image: iStock

Describing type 1 diabetes management as “like walking a tightrope,” Nash says it requires a constant balance between blood sugar that’s too high, with long and short-term risks, and blood sugar that’s too low, which can starve the brain of glucose.

That constant balancing act carries a significant psychological cost, says psychotherapist and counsellor Rebecca Hirst. “There is a constant need for risk management, and personal responsibility for survival – a kind of vigilance that means one can never really switch off, with a nervous system on a low-level ‘threat response’ mode,” says Hirst.

Phoenix Goozée was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was six, and for him, keeping well has become a second nature. Staying active and healthy has helped his situation a lot, says Phoenix., who adds that “If you stick to the practices of a healthy life, that coincides with a healthy diabetic."

“People managing chronic health conditions, especially in adulthood, have often developed very high levels of competence – adaptive coping strategies that signal ‘Everything’s fine’, when in fact, the weight of living with the condition may be becoming unmanageable,” says Hirst.

The mental load of diabetes can also fall to family members. Image: iStock

While Goozée says he doesn’t feel mentally burdened by diabetes, he admits that life would, of course, be easier without it. “It has become second nature, the injections and checking sugar levels, but I wish I didn’t have to do that,” he says. “I see people eating, not thinking about what their sugar levels are…it’s a bit of a pain in the arse, to be honest.”

The mental load can also fall to family members. “My partner Emily is really good at picking up the cues of me having a hypo [when blood glucose drops too low],” says Goozée. “We’ve had ambulances called because of a few close calls, so she’s had the mental load on that side of things.”

Supporting a loved one with type 1 diabetes

While often we focus on the medical side of chronic illness, family and friends should also be aware of a person’s felt experience, says Hirst. “We know that when someone feels alone or emotionally misunderstood in their experience, their stress and pain levels increase, and their symptoms often do too,” she says.

To better support a loved one with type 1 diabetes, acknowledge the invisible load they’re carrying, but also avoid ‘checking behaviours’, as this can undermine a person’s autonomy. Image: iStock

To better support a loved one with type 1 diabetes, acknowledge the invisible load they’re carrying, but also avoid ‘checking behaviours’, as this can undermine a person’s autonomy.

It's also crucial to do your own research. “You can help reduce the cognitive load of your loved one by learning about the condition independently, and even helping to educate others for them,” says Hirst.

While some people with type 1 diabetes, like Goozée, reduce the load through strict routines, others rely on technology to help shoulder the cognitive work. Advances such as continuous glucose monitoring and insulin pump systems are designed to respond to changes in glucose levels in real-time, reducing the need for decision-making. 

There’s no ‘threshold’ of suffering that people need to reach in order to be justified in choosing to start therapy. Image: iStock

Since his diagnosis as a teen, Nash has gone on to specialise in diabetes, yet he admits he still has “a hard time with diabetes on a day-to-day basis.”

“It's not easy – it takes a whole team to help manage it,” says Nash. “There's this constant background burden you have to deal with on top of all the other important things you have to do day-to-day.”

From a mental health perspective, Hirst says there doesn’t need to be a breaking point to seek support.

“There’s no ‘threshold’ of suffering that people need to reach in order to be justified in choosing to start therapy,” she says.

https://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/health/mental-health/the-invisible-mental-load-of-type-1-diabetes/news-story/529cf0fd0793e0556f6545e48879b302

The Best Morning Drink for Better Blood Sugar, According to Dietitians

From eatingwell.com

The right morning drink can help prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes. Here’s why registered dietitians recommend a well-balanced smoothie 

KEY POINTS

• Some drinks have lots of added sugar. A balanced smoothie might help blood sugar. 
• Adding fibre, protein and healthy fats is key to making a smoothie that’s good for blood sugar. 
• Try water, unsweetened coffee, green tea or herbal tea for other blood sugar–friendly drinks.

Eating a balanced breakfast each morning can have a big impact on your blood sugar levels, and what you sip on is important, too. Many people don’t realize that their favourite flavoured coffee drinks and juices are loaded with added sugars that can cause blood sugar to spike. But more intentional drink choices—such as a well-balanced smoothie that has protein, healthy fats and fibre—can be a much better option in terms of impacting your blood sugar.

When made with the right mix of fibre-rich fruits and vegetables, protein and healthy fats, a smoothie digests more slowly than many sugary drinks, helps minimize post-meal blood sugar spikes, and supports steadier energy through the morning. 

Here’s why registered dietitians recommend starting your day with a nutritious smoothie for better blood sugar, and why blending in protein, fibre-rich fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats is so important.  

Why a Well-Balanced Smoothie Is the Best Morning Option for Better Blood Sugar

It’s Hydrating

After not eating or drinking for eight hours or so while sleeping, many people wake up slightly dehydrated. When you’re dehydrated, your blood volume drops, which can make blood sugar concentrations appear higher, says Lindsay Cohen, RDN.

“A smoothie provides a significant amount of fluid, especially when water or unsweetened nut milk is used as a base, helping to prevent dehydration,” Cohen says.

Hydrating doesn’t directly lower blood sugar, says Serena Pratt, M.S., RDN. But it can help indirectly by supporting consistent routines, appetite and focus, all of which can influence food choices and other lifestyle habits that play a role in blood sugar management.

It’s High in Fibre, Which Helps Stabilise Blood Sugar

Fruits like blueberries, strawberries and blackberries add a sweet flavour to your smoothies along with fibre, which supports satiety and blood sugar control, says Kimberly Gomer, M.S., RD. Similarly, veggies like spinach, kale and riced cauliflower add fibre without much sugar.

Fibre supports digestion and slows stomach emptying, which helps slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, contributing to a more gradual rise in blood sugar. When you have a sugary drink without fibre, like soda or juice with lots of added sugars, there can be a larger spike in blood sugar.

Adding Healthy Fats Can Leave You Feeling Full and Satisfied

Chewing your food helps signal feelings of fullness and satisfaction, so you’re not immediately thinking about eating something else. But when you drink a smoothie, there isn’t much chewing involved. “As a result, a smoothie can go down quickly, and it may not register as being as satisfying as a meal eaten with a utensil,” Pratt says. 

This doesn’t mean a smoothie isn’t a good idea; you just need to make sure it contains the right ingredients. Blending in some healthy fats can help, since they take a while to break down and digest, leaving you more satisfied. “Adding healthy fats, like nut butter, chia or flax seeds, avocado or full-fat Greek yogurt, helps slow down stomach motility, increasing satiety and supporting a steadier rise in blood sugar,” Pratt says.

Adding Protein Helps Minimise Blood Sugar Spikes

Having some protein in the morning gives you energy for the day, while also increasing satiety and helping keep blood sugar levels stable. 

“Protein is digested more slowly than carbohydrates, and when consumed with carbohydrates, can help slow how quickly the blood glucose rises,” Cohen says. “Protein also stimulates the release of hormones that slow down gastric emptying and can actually improve your body’s insulin response.”

Greek yogurt, soy milk, dairy milk and protein powder are all good options if you’re looking to add some protein to your morning smoothie.

Other Drink Options to Consider:

• Water: Water contains no sugar or carbohydrates and is one of the best ways to stay hydrated. “When you are dehydrated, your blood volume decreases, which makes the glucose in your bloodstream more concentrated,” Cohen says. “Drinking water helps the kidneys flush out excess sugar through urine and helps maintain a healthy blood volume.”
• Unsweetened green tea: Green tea is packed with antioxidants that may improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels, research shows. “Over time, regular consumption of green tea has been associated with lower fasting glucose levels and improved long-term glycaemic control,” Cohen says. 
• Unsweetened coffee: Drinking unsweetened coffee may be associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Interestingly, the association isn’t as strong when people add sugar or artificial sweeteners to their coffee, researchers found. “Some people might find that coffee on an empty stomach can increase anxiety or GI symptoms, so pairing it with a balanced breakfast can help,” Pratt says.
• Protein coffee: “Combining coffee, milk and a scoop of protein powder combines caffeine and protein while avoiding sugary syrups or powders,” Pratt says. This can be a more blood sugar–friendly swap for a sugary latte. 
• Herbal tea: “Herbal teas are naturally caffeine-free, so they provide hydration without the potential cortisol rise that can occasionally cause temporary blood glucose fluctuations in sensitive individuals,” Cohen says.

• Our Expert Take

  If you’re looking for a morning drink that supports your blood sugar levels, consider a balanced smoothie made with fibre-rich fruits and vegetables, protein and healthy fats. Aside from being rich in nutrients, this type of smoothie can slow digestion, keep you satisfied and help you avoid the sharp blood sugar spikes you might experience after having a drink with lots of added sugars.

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• https://www.eatingwell.com/best-morning-drink-for-better-blood-sugar-11889073